Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Clear Channel has been making somewhat more than the usual budget-related staff cutbacks nationwide, reportedly to prepare itself for a sale to private equity firms.

That budget axe has apparently now started hitting closer to home.

Much closer, as in the Clear Channel World Domination HQ on Oak Tree in suburban Cleveland, where OMW hears one name is already on the cut list: T.R. Renzy, imaging/production guy at oldies WMJI/105.7 "Majic 105.7".

We hear there are others affected, but that's the only name that we have so far.

Typical of Clear Channel, and unfortunately the industry as a whole. Work 'em as cheaply as possible then toss them out the door. Clear Channel will be dropping anybody with an assistant in their title like yesterdays underwear over the next few months as part of the make way for the money effort.

Does CC have any interest in Cleveland anymore? They sure have been getting rid of the $$$ makers like Meg Stevens and RC Bauer. Syndicated mornings on MMS and Kiss. Never a replacement for Popovich. Half the news staff. Maybe the pending buyout will have Cleveland on the auction block.

"Paging Craig Karmizan, paging Craig Karmizan... hire T.R. as soon as legally able." I agree with Chuck wholeheartedly: TR's one of the BEST VO's that's left in Cleveland, in a modest stable that includes Ted Lux, Steve Dole and Dan Deely...

Small note: R.C. actually had left on his own, to go to Tampa's WFLA. Yes, CC only promoted Darren Toms to ND, but I betcha R.C. doesn't miss what's going on now... if the writing was on the wall as I think it was all along (WAKS was the only real moneymaker in the cluster earlier this year, and WTAM had to air a whole miserable Indians season...).

Oh, and now WTAM has CC traffic reporter Dave Ramos on the afternoon newscasts, for well over a week. Could Mary Schurmann also have been cut?